BDUK reports on impact of gigabit broadband builds to UK libraries and GPs

The Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) office has today published a couple of new studies that evaluate the performance, delivery and value of its various public investments to help deploy gigabit-capable broadband (full fibre) connections to poorly served libraries and GP (Doctor) surgeries.

The two reports – here and here – were conducted by Belmana and GC Insight. Both examined the publicly funded impacts of the government’s “Hub” (GigaHubs) interventions, delivered through the earlier £200m Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) programme and the ongoing £5bn Project Gigabit scheme.

In terms of GP surgeries. Across the GigaHubs and RGC programmes, 252 GP surgeries were connected, including 38 funded through GigaHubs. Of the connected surgeries, 51 were in England, 79 in Northern Ireland, 94 in Scotland, and 28 in Wales. Sadly we don’t get a clear figure for the number of libraries connected, but 26 such sites did take part in the related survey.

The evaluations aren’t particularly exciting to read and both reach similar conclusions, so we’ll just paste the outcomes below, which broadly say it had positive impacts.

Conclusion to BDUK evaluation of healthcare sites

The report findings demonstrate that broadband upgrades functioned as a foundational enabler for modern rural healthcare infrastructure. Improvements in speed and reliability supported the operational resilience of GP surgeries by strengthening the effective use of cloud-based clinical systems, digital communication tools and remote consultation platforms. Drawing on NHS England’s WGLL framework and Greenhalgh et al.’s typology of digital maturity, the analysis interprets variation in impact through organisational readiness, workflow integration and service design. Across the four themes, the report traces how connectivity supports change from core digital infrastructure and appointment delivery through to patient access, care pathway coordination and place-based models of care.

The quantitative analysis of appointment data suggests a measurable change in the mode of consultation. Analysis of patient attendance data then suggests a consistent, albeit modest, benefit from video-based consultations over telephone, with higher attendance rates seen across all models. The increase in online consultations following connection is likely to be correlated with a GP surgery adopting digital platforms for appointment management, record keeping, e-prescriptions and telemedicine. Data to explore this quantitatively is not available. However, qualitative findings demonstrate that, once the broadband upgrade is being used, it can function as a critical enabling condition for modern healthcare provision and digital infrastructure. Day-to-day operations in connected surgeries are strengthened by administrative efficiencies and new forms of professional communication such as A&G.

At the organisational level, these infrastructure gains enhanced service reliability aligned with the Department of Health and Social Care’s Ten-Year Health Plan for England (2025). However, the extent to which improvements will have translated into broader service development may vary. Further evidence is needed to better understand how widespread and persistent the impacts of improved connectivity in health sites are. Future research on broadband connectivity could explore what factors shape digital service provision in health sites, whether benefits vary depending on patient population and how digital service provision in primary care may impact secondary care sites. This would help to better tease out the linkage from output to outcomes to impacts in the Theory of Change and allow for a framework which offers insight into variation in adoption and impact of digital connectivity in GP surgeries and other health sites.

Overall, the evaluation demonstrates that gigabit connectivity is a necessary condition for health sites to access the administrative and treatment-related benefits of A&G, e-prescriptions, video consults and other digitally enabled tools. There is also evidence of a significant behavioural change due to the Hub investment. The pathways of further impact are indicated qualitatively. However, sustained and equitable impact depends on complementary investment in equipment, staff skills and cross-sector coordination.

Conclusion to BDUK evaluation of library sites

The findings demonstrate that broadband upgrades functioned as a critical enabling condition for modern rural library infrastructure. Improvements in speed and reliability reduced technical disruption and strengthened the performance of cloud-based systems and digital services. The analysis uses a thematic structure aligned with the policy framing (DCMS, 2016) and Arts Council England’s place-based approach. Across the four themes, libraries are understood as flexible service platforms, spanning digital access, learning, participation and community engagement.

At the organisational level, the Hub investments enhanced service reliability, improved staff efficiency and supported more consistent delivery of public-facing services. However, the extent to which operational improvements translated into broader service development depended on staffing capacity and local resource availability.

At the user level, improved connectivity expanded opportunities for remote working, job search activity, access to public services and digitally enabled learning. Where complemented by structured digital inclusion initiatives – such as Dorset’s Digital Doorway programme – connectivity gains were more clearly converted into increased digital confidence and reduced exclusion. In the absence of such support, uptake was more limited.

At the system level, the greatest impacts were observed where local authorities and partner organisations coordinated efforts to scale benefits beyond individual sites. Expansion into health navigation, employment support and community-based digital inclusion was uneven and contingent on partnership models and sustained capacity, reflecting the flexible, place-based nature of library service delivery.

Overall, the evaluation demonstrates that gigabit connectivity is a foundational enabler and a necessary but not sufficient condition for inclusive digital transformation in rural libraries. Infrastructure upgrades create the conditions for change, but sustained and equitable impact depends on complementary investment in staffing, equipment, skills and cross-sector coordination, with outcomes varying according to how services are organised, integrated and delivered within local systems.